Schwarzenegger Won’t Budge as California Nears Collapse

Posted on Jul 1, 2009

U.S. Army / Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a Democratic proposal to cut $11.4 billion in spending, saying that “the Legislature must solve the entire [$27 billion] deficit ... and must not push the problem off to tomorrow.” With IOUs now a certainty and the state in financial ruin, a prominent Democrat called the governor’s stance “the most irresponsible thing that I’ve seen in my 15 years of public service.”

San Francisco Chronicle:

The Democratic legislators failed to win over Schwarzenegger with a promise to put together a comprehensive reform package within 60 days—in response to his demand—that would root out fraud in health and social service programs and streamline government.

In his veto message, Schwarzenegger said, “I have been very clear that the Legislature must solve the entire deficit, must make the hard decisions now, and must not push the problem off to tomorrow.”

I live in California. Its a beautiful state and I hope Arnold gets his way so it stays that way. The big spenders and overly powerful unions have brought this state to its knees. We’re out of money so they say take it from the rich. Many of the rich have already left California. My job went to the inexpensive southwest two years ago.

If Americans don’t wake up, the whole country will go the way of California. The USA’s unemployment rate is almost 10% and still growing. GM and Chrysler are bankrupt and will emerge a fraction of their former size. I agree that the rich in this country earn too much money. But you could have reduced the salaries of GM’s and Chrysler’s executives all you wanted to and that still would not have saved those companies.

There are people in this country who work very hard and get paid very little. There are also those in unions here in California (nurses, police, prison guards) that make huge salaries. This is ruining the California and other states.

Hey, why don’t all of you who don’t support Arnold on this stance send all of your money to help California out? In fact, why don’t you move to California, take advantage of all of their “free” programs you espouse to support and vote for, and pay the bill for it while you are there!! In fact, go vote yourself some more money while you are there!! Businesses move out (those rich bastards!!) because you want them to pay for all your “free” stuff. Way to go Arnold!! Hang in there, do the right thing.

Really I’m impressed. We all bitch about the bailouts. Arnie stands up for accountability in my eyes. If there isn’t enough money to cover all the government programs… than some things need to be cut! Which things get cut should be up to the legislature, obviously. If the public doesn’t like cutting programs, than the California government needs to tax them more so that they can afford them. Really it seems like a no-brainer. The fraudulent practice of spending money you don’t have needs to stop, finally a politician is standing up to it.

Oh, we all understand ‘the Rockefeller Way’. More for the Rockefellers and less for everyone else has always been ‘the Rockefeller way.’

Teach a man to fish… sure, that sounds great. Are there fishing jobs available in CA? Do most citizens live someplace near clean streams stocked with fish?

Or, maybe you meant you wanted to teach people how to clean windshields of cars stopped at traffic lights? Seems like that’s about the only work available these days.

Real people need real solutions ... and real money to buy real food and pay for real shelter. Homely platitudes don’t feed anyone. Or, were you offering to let everyone stay at your place and fish at your stream while you taught them to fish?

Raising taxes on the rich is a very obvious step that needs to be considered. We are at the end of a two decade long period of cutting taxes on the wealthy, and a broke state is a predictable result.

The poor are ALWAYS the first to get hit but this is so much bigger. The shrinking of bloated Government is economic Darwinism and it is time. The hope I have is that we all learn our lesson and keep our belts tight when things start to improve, and they will improve. If we can restrain our excess, WE CAN control the Inflation Monster that is lurking…...

Thank God for Schwarzenegger!! he is the only reasonable person in Sacramento. The voters already told Sacramento that we don’t want more taxes, it’s time to make cuts, specially in the Unions, which have grown to astronimical numbers in the last 10 years, and now that reality hits them in the face they are in denial. The truth of the matter is that California doesn’t earn enough money to support so many unions, taxpayers already pay too much taxes, and we are losing jobs by the thousands. The only cure is cuts!!!! Thank God for Arnold!

What a pig. Arnold’s game is designed to make the legislature choose between being responsible for cutting the throats of the poor once again, and letting Arnold do it. No matter what else takes place because of this mess, California’s most needy citizens are going to get hosed. That’s what always happens when the creeps in charge decide to save some money. Instead of taxing those who can afford it, instead of stopping wasteful spending inside the government itself, instead of heading off witless public works projects that began their lives as pork in a legislative bill, they will cut funding for poor children, the disabled, the eldery, and anyone else who can’t fight back. It’s just business as usual among the extortionists in office.